Process for preparing and preserving potatoes



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2 SHEETS--SHEET l H. M. CHASE PROCESS FOR PREPARING AND PRESERVING POTATOES ATTORNEY May 20, 1952 Filed June 1, 1949 May 20, 1952 H. M. CHASE 2,597,065

PROCESS FOR PREP/mmc AND PRESERVING PoTAToEs Filed June 1, 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 W C I l Q/ Kil I I l N *4 k u f l gl u` k m' a *l S W N N g u l m n f L Q) g 3mm/m n /lfMPy/mcffisf,

QL* R Q ATToRNEY Patented May 20, 1952 Y Mocassini; PRERABJNGlANDZ PREsEavING mirarnos? Henry Oliase; Nampa;Idahbgiassignontos. ArthxmiMnChase, Nampasldhnn AppiicaiiomJne-l, 1949;.ssri1Na ameri This invention prelatesto atprocess for-.preparii:l'gjand"treatingpotatoes;` Moreparticularlyggthe inventionrelates gto aL process'in :accordance with wl'icliipotatoes 'are subjectedu to 4aiseries of-processingjstepsnclding conditioningiorstarch and i sugar content;l washing; peeling; cutting; blanching','jpartial1ydrying and packagingori fresh "consumption; or quick freezingand packagingtoprep are and'preserve'the potatoes lonamasslznjoductionba'sis' While packa'g ed"l quick? frozen foods "of 'various 'types areA available for domesticiuse,` upj to-"th'e present time, no whollyvsatisfactoryjmethodhas been devised for" processingj and* packaging. of various cuts of potatoesbyjmethodswliicliLincludequick freezing; without seriously deteriorating the quality," from the" natural state; It a principal 'object of'the"- present invention topro- Vide a satisfactory,A method. or process ,'oipreparinlgjandpreserving` potatoesin diiierent style cutsL such` as',l for example, French`- fries,"V shoestringsf""hash'brownsf' and for quick' freezing the Vsame so .that .they mayy Without additional preparation; vor' 'vvithouttlriawing,g be cooked' and stillimaintain oribettertheir original qualityy Anotherobject of 'the linvention resd'esin effecting `av series of "process steps which' avoid'or overcome certain.. conditions which heretofore have rendered"A it impossible 'toi produce a' packagedirozen non-cooked potatoiin vcut form'ready for sdeepiryingor othencooking, thatiiemains tasty and palatable.

These 'and' l"other obj ectsn and'- advantages' will become more apparent :from they 'following've` description -and claims when read inv conjunction with the-accompanying drawings; irrwhicly Figs. 1l and" 1A-show diagrammatically' a processing plant forf'carrying'out the invention.

Invmany instances it-is advisable as v4a preliminary stepto processing`-as"=wi1l be-described, tostore the fresh potatoes in conditioning-roomslor the-likewhere-the temperature can-be-regulated forlieat andi cold.'V As therpotatoes are `Aplaced in such` rooms: they -are 'ftested =for sugarl content so-that -itcan be ascertained-#how'long-it willlfbe necessary` tojstore the potatoes in'a Warm-room (frvexample, 1 at-'0" F2) r'in-sordera to changethe excesssugar tto f starch and"'ltorender-tlie potatoes in proper condition for the' process-1 which will now'bedescribed.

After suoh=preliminary conditioning mentioned, the-potatoes may be conveyed `into lthe processing plant shown in the drawings 'by'A means-of 7afi-belt line conveyor indicated by the referenceenumeral If: This 'belt line conveyor# delivers'tliefpotatoes" lOf - 2.5 toian-elevator 2'fwliicl'relevates'ltliem to asmaster distribnting;conveyor3E` The conveyor '3l"in'turn feeds* threeprocessingflinesthrough the medium of" shortbelt lined oonveyors-4 which.. inv the-rst instance; convey" theV potatoesr toe washer-sndicated'bytl'ie-referencefnumeral'5M Eaclil Washer-15 iis a-cleaning-= apparatus which is'A provided; for-=example; with` revolvingfiber brushes. The potatoes are `alsofsubjected lh'ere to" aflieavywcold #wa-ter spray with a Pressure# of about ,80 pounds.' 'I'l'iepotatoes arethus'claned by" the revolving/"fiberbrushes =under theheavy Water spray in-t1iis washer *and* are then dropped onto;- sorting tables -B w-here all fwaste# is -picked picked-baker potatoes'dare placed? on side `delivery belts (shown Yindotted*linesandY indicated by the reference numeral 25) to be carriedforfconveyed tocars"or-t0--thestorage room? Thefrest of-'-the potatoes then -drop1 downto conveyors 1-by'which they'varetransportedstothe steamers--8s In the-steamersl18which-mayb in the form' of drumsf,\ the potatoesl are steamed` for one-Half to three-quarters A'minute #attasteam- -pressurer= of Tliesteamers. arecon tinuous. The-time-thatf t1e= potatoes-*mein vthe Steamers" dependsL on their temperature at rthe time they entery the steamer. For'example,--iflv they are at K'ZOPHFS when* theyf'enterrthe Steamers it is -onlymeeessary that/they remain in -thesteamers processing which follows thez'steamingfin the steamers'Wat aroundlOOpoundssteam"pressure effects'- a" sudden changeV in temperature and shock's`the. skin off" the potatoes; Moreover, with tle 'rolling :action of *this washer. (whichin the examplesliown isrsomeM 12 'feet-long); the potatoes: rub" against, ea'clr other*Y until'alFof "the thin outer skin is removed withoutnisturbing any of'tlfieY inner coveringthereby' saving allfof 'the nutritive' contentm of'A the food: onthe vitamins.

rThis is importantsi-nce; it-"islunderstood, most 'of theA foodvaliein` potatoes, aside `from'tlne starch. is contained in theouter-'three-eighths of' an inch. Tlie skinff's-removed without cooking` intonthe potato as lisl-lthe'f caserA in" most "-knownfprooessing From the washer-peeler 9 the potatoes pass to specking or clean-up tables I0, where operators manually trim out all eyes and specks. Fresh water troughs on either side of the tables permit the operators to dip the potatoes therein so that when the potatoes leave this table I they are thus entirely clean and ready to be cut into the various desired sizes and shapes.

From the tables I0 the potatoesare elevated to the strip cutters or slicing machines I I. These machines cut the potatoes into any desired shapes and sizes such as French-fries, shoestrings, boilers, hash-browns, or other sizes. The cutting machines then drop the cut pieces of potatoes into the tanks I2 which, preferably, contain a solution comprised of one five-hundredths of a pound of sodium bisulphite to one gallon of water. The cut potatoes remain in this solution about two or three minutes and then pass out on a conveyor or a mesh belt of a stainless steel or the like to the Sizing screens I3 While on the conveyor belt between the tanks I2 and the sizing screens I3 the potatoes are subjected to a fine fresh-water spray so as to rinse off all of the solution. When they reach the sizing screen I3 the sizing screen eliminates all under-sized stock.

From the sizing screen the potatoes are elevated to a belt conveyor I4 which delivers the processed stock to the blanchers I5. In the processing plant illustrated diagrammatically, each of these threeblanchers I5 is about r12 feet long and is provided preferably with a stainless steel web belt or vthe like mounted .on rollers which passes completely through the blancher and on through the adjacent air cooler I6, and chill section II, and in the case of two of the three processing lines, then through the quickfreeze tunnels I9.

In the blanchers I5 there are ya succession vof live steam jets spaced along the line. The potatoes are exposed to the live steam for about from two to three minutes, depending on thevolume and time required for the size being run. The temperature employed is from 180 to 210 degrees F., and preferably about 210 F. The live steam has the effect of killing the enzymes.

From the blanchers I5 the lines continue, as indicated, to the air coolers or dryers I6. These dryers are each provided with a series of air fans or other means which direct air onto the potatoes from above and below, or from various angles, so as to remove the surface moisture from the potatoes. These dryers I6 in the embodiment shown diagrammatically are about 40 feet long.

From the dryers or air coolers I6 the lines, as i indicated, continue through the chill sections II` which are refrigerated in such manner that the temperature therein is maintained just above 0 F. The potatoes are cooled in these chill sections to a temperature of about from 35 to 38 degrees F. by the time they reach the end of the line.

If the potatoes are not to be quick-frozen, they are then ready for packaging if they are to be usedV fresh, and may be stored in the storage room of the processing plant which is maintained at a temperature of about 35 F. In the drawing, the lowermost line is the line for potatoes which are not to be quick-frozen and which are to be stored as thus indicated, or all linesY may be -diverted either for packaging fresh, at the end of the chillingk section II, or all the lines may be diverted from the endof section II onto the conveying belt line section I8 to be conveyed to the freezing section I9 in order to be frozen.

The other two lines I8 continue through the .age room on the two-way belt conveyor.

v for many months without any change in condition when stored at zero temperature.

A portion of the processing referred to can be employed also for producing a -hash-brown package which contains individual cakes or patties mixed with a very small amount of flour, Water and salt. After the potatoes have passed through the blanching and partial drying in the dryers I6, they are shredded and mixed very gently in a type of barrel tumbling action mixer with the ingredients mentioned. Then they are molded into patties about 31/2 across and about thick. After molding they are placed on the Vconveyer and run through the quick-freeze tunnels I9 and are then ready to package as desired.

So that my reference to the various potato cuts shall be clear to others, I shall describe them briefly, the dimensions given being approximate:

French fries are cut in strips 3 to 7 inches long, in two sizes 1%; inch square and 1/2' inch square.

Shoestrings or Julienne are cut in strips 3 to 7 inches long, 1A; inch square.

Cottage or American fries are cut in slices crossways of the potato 13-6 inch thick, from 1 inch to 3 inches across, depending upon the size of the potato. s

Hash brown patties, as stated, arel moulded from potatoes that have been shredded, then moulded into patties 31/2 Vinches across and inch through.

Boiling potatoes are cut into strips and small pieces not over one inch through and l inch to 7 inches long. These sizes ,are necessary in order that the solution and blanching will penetrate through,

Baking potatoesare graded in two sizes, 8 to 12 ounces and 12 to 16 ounces, washed oven clean v and conditioned 'for sugar and starch before grading.

When cookingthe frozen cuts to whichreference has been made (except the patties, boilers,

andl'bakers), the potatoes are placed in a deep fat fryer directly from the freezer without thawing, and will cook in about 3 minutes with the cooking oil at a temperature of around 375 F. It has been found thatthey will cook crisper and stay crisp much longer than fresh potatoes similarly cooked. A

Not all types of potatoes are found .to produce the best results. Some lots ofp'otatoes contain too much sugar, and it is necessary to condition many vof them by storing at F. in order to turn the sugar back into starch. This conditioning brings the sugar and starch both to the right proportions for proper deep -frying so that every lot will cook about the samenfIhis is accomplished, as indicated, before the potatoes are steam peeled. By experimentation I have found that potatoes known as Netted Gemv or Russet give very excellent results.

y I claiinz l. In a continuous process for preparing and preserving white potatoes for subsequent cooking, the ste-ps of subjecting out pieces to live steam for a period of two to three minutes at temperatures of approximately 210 F., subjecting the cut pieces to forced air currents to remove all outside moisture, to dry partially the outside of the pieces, and to gradually reduce the temperature of the potatoes, and gradually chilling the pieces to reduce their temperature to about 35 to 38 F.

2. In a process for preparing potatoes for cooking, the preliminary step olf removing the skins by subjecting the potatoes briefly to live steam and immediately subjecting the potatoes to icecold liquid sprays, whereby a sudden change of temperature in the potato is effected and the skins are shocked away from the potatoes.

3. In a process for preparing `potatoes for cooking, the preliminary step of removing the skins by subjecting the potatoes briefly to live steam and immediately subjecting the potatoes to ice cold liquid sprays, whereby a sudden change of temperature in the Ipotato is effected and the skins are shocked away from the potatoes, and

' a gentle rubbing action.

4. A continuous process for preparing and preserving white potatoes, comprising the steps of removing the skin by subjecting the potatoes to steam at 100 pounds steam press-ure for one-half to three-quarters of a minute, followed by spraying with ice water at about 80 pounds pressure while gently rubbing the potatoes together, cutting the potatoes to cooking shapes and sizes, treating the cut pieces in an aqueous solution of sodium bisulphite, blan-ching the pieces with live steam at temperatures ranging from 180 to 210 F. for from 2 to 3 minutes to kill the enzymes, subjecting the blanched pieces to air currents to surface digy them, vcooking the potatoes gradually to temperatures of from about 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit, and quick freezing the partially dried, chilled pieces.

HENRY M. CHASE.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 719,617 Scovill Feb. 3, 1903 2,001,703 Brown May 21, 1935 2,101,506 Morrow et al Dec. 7, 1937 2,166,278 Alderfer July 18, 1939 2,364,049 Bensel Dec. 5, 1944 2,420,322 Matarazzo May 13, 1947 2,477,605 Howard et al Aug. 2, 1949 2,506,793 Kalmar et a1 May 9, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES Quick Frozen Foods, February 1948, page 84, article entitled Cooked and Prepared Frozen Foods.

Quick Frozen Foods, June 1949, page 67. 

4. A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PREPARING AND PRESERVING WHITE POTATOES, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF REMOVING THE SKIN BY SUBJECTING THE POTATOES TO STEAM AT 100 POUNDS STEAM PRESSURE FOR ONE-HALF TO THREE-QUARTERS OF A MINUTE,FOLLOWED BY SPRAYING WITH ICE WATER AT ABOUT 80 POUNDS PRESSURE WHILE GENTLY RUBBING THE POTATOES TOGETHER, CUTTING THE POTATOES TO COOKING SHAPES AND SIZES, TREATING THE CUT PIECES IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF SODIUM BISULPHITE, BLANCHING THE PIECES WITH LIVE STEAM AT TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 180* TO 210* F. FOR FROM 2 TO 3 MINUTES TO KILL THE ENZYMES, SUBJECTING THE BLANCHED PIECES TO AIR CURRENTS TO SURFACE DRY THEM, COOKING THE POTATOES GRADUALLY TO TEMPERATURES OF FROM ABOUT 35-38 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND QUICK FREEZING THE PARTIALLY DRIED, CHILLED PIECES. 